Syria troops kill 42 armed rebels in clashes countrywide

DAMASCUS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua)-- A total of 42 armed men were killed Sunday during clashes with the Syrian troops in the east and north of Syria, the pro-government Sham FM radio said, as activists reported shelling and clashes in some areas in the capital Damascus.

The pro-government Sham FM radio said that 17 members of the al- Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front were killed Sunday at al-Jubaila district in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

It said that other 25 armed men had been killed in the northern province of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, activists reported heavy government troops' shelling on the Damascus district of Darya and the Kafar Souseh orchards, which emerged as strongholds for armed insurgents.

An amateur video footage appeared online claiming to show thick smoke bellowing from the Kafar Souseh orchards the adjacent Darya suburb.

Earlier in the day, mortars fired by armed men were most likely from the Kafar Souseh area, which struck parts of the Mazzeh area and seriously injured two people, causing heavy property losses, the state-run SANA said.

The violence in Syria seems on the rise with no sign of abating amid escalating economic hardship that has sent people on edge.